Patriots Pack It Out

Students’ discards help local charities

When students moved out of the residence halls last spring, charities such as Food for Others and United Community Ministries benefited from the transition.

The first Patriot Pack Out, a new recycling and community outreach initiative at Mason, collected thousands of pounds of donated food, clothing, and appliances. Students departing for the summer gave their unwanted items to local charities, filling 126 donation barrels in various residence hall locations. Among the donations were microwaves, vacuums, mini-refrigerators, computers, computer chairs, and rugs.

Faculty, staff, and student volunteers then carried the contents to a semitrailer truck, which was nearly filled when collection ended.

 “For its first year, the program was a great success,” says Traci Claar, director of community relations at Mason, who led the effort. “It brought a lot of people together working for the good of the community. We’re especially grateful to the local charities and Interstate Moving Company for the assistance they provided; they deserve a lot of credit and praise.”

Claar hopes to make Patriot Pack Out an annual event at Mason. “We’re already looking toward next year to see how we can include even more students,” she says.